A River by AK Ramanujan | A River Poem by AK Ramanujan | A River | AK Ramanujan | Explanation | Summary | Key Points | Word Meaning | Questions Answers | Critical Appreciation | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons
A River by AK Ramanujan
In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
who sang of cities and temples,
every summer
a river dries to a trickle
in the sand,
baring the sand ribs,
straw and women’s hair
clogging the watergates
at the rusty bars
under the bridges with patches
of repair all over them
the wet stones glistening like sleepy
crocodiles, the dry ones
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poets only sang of the floods.
He was there for a day
when they had the floods.
People everywhere talked
of the inches rising,
of the precise number of cobbled steps
run over by the water, rising
on the bathing places,
and the way it carried off three village houses,
one pregnant woman
and a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda as usual.
The new poets still quoted
the old poets, but no one spoke
in verse
of the pregnant woman
drowned, with perhaps twins in her,
kicking at blank walls
even before birth.
He said:
the river has water enough
to be poetic
about only once a year
and then
it carries away
in the first half-hour
three village houses,
a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda
and one pregnant woman
expecting identical twins
with no moles on their bodies,
with different coloured diapers
to tell them apart.
A River Poem by AK Ramanujan Analysis
In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
who sang of cities and temples,
every summer
a river dries to a trickle
in the sand,
baring the sand ribs,
straw and women’s hair
clogging the watergates
at the rusty bars
under the bridges with patches
of repair all over them
the wet stones glistening like sleepy
crocodiles, the dry ones
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poets only sang of the floods.
Reference to Context:
The above lines are from the poem “A River” by A.K. Ramanujan. In this excerpt, the poet describes a river in Madurai, a city known for its temples and poets. The river, which is typically idealized in poetry, is shown here in a dry and neglected state during the summer months. While the poets sing about the river’s floods and grandeur, they fail to acknowledge its harsh, lifeless condition during the dry season.
Explanation:
The poet begins by referencing Madurai, a place famous for its temples and poets who often glorify the city and its landmarks. However, the river in this city, instead of being an endless source of beauty, is described as drying up every summer.
The “sand ribs” symbolize the riverbed exposed due to the lack of water, and the image of “straw and women’s hair clogging the watergates” shows the pollution and neglect of the river.
The “rusty bars” and “patches of repair” under the bridges highlight the river’s deteriorating state, indicating neglect and the passage of time.
The comparison of “wet stones” to “sleepy crocodiles” and “dry ones” to “shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun” personifies the stones and animals, creating a visual image of laziness and stagnation. The reference to animals suggests the stillness and inactivity of the river during the dry season.
Despite these realistic and bleak images, the poets only sing about the floodwaters, ignoring the river’s poor state during the rest of the year. This sets up a contrast between the idealized poetic view of the river and its actual, neglected state.
Poetic Devices:
Imagery: Ramanujan uses vivid imagery throughout this stanza. For example, “sand ribs” and “straw and women’s hair clogging the watergates” create a strong visual of a river that has almost become a waste disposal site.
The comparison of “wet stones” to “sleepy crocodiles” and “dry ones” to “shaven water-buffaloes” is another example of visual imagery, where the stones are described in a way that brings the reader to see the riverbed as both still and lifeless.
Metaphor: The river is metaphorically described as having a “sleepy” crocodile-like quality when wet, and a “shaven water-buffalo” when dry. This comparison emphasizes the inactivity and dullness of the river in its dry state.
Contrast: There is a stark contrast between the river’s dried-up state and the floodwaters sung about by poets. This contrast highlights the disconnect between the poetic ideal and the actual condition of the river.
Irony: The irony lies in the fact that the poets only sing about the floods, celebrating the grandeur of the river when it is powerful and destructive, while ignoring its more common and neglected state during the dry season.
He was there for a day
when they had the floods.
People everywhere talked
of the inches rising,
of the precise number of cobbled steps
run over by the water, rising
on the bathing places,
and the way it carried off three village houses,
one pregnant woman
and a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda as usual.
Reference to Context:
In this part of “A River”, A.K. Ramanujan shifts the focus to the flood, which is often the subject of poetic admiration. The speaker describes the floodwaters rising in Madurai and the way the people of the city discuss the rising water levels and its effects. The floodwaters are depicted as taking away houses, a pregnant woman, and cows named Gopi and Brinda, reinforcing the scale of destruction the river can bring. The reference to the common names of the cows highlights the ordinariness and routine nature of life that the flood disrupts.
Explanation:
The phrase “He was there for a day when they had the floods” introduces the speaker as a witness to the flood event, setting the tone of immediacy and observation.
The people in Madurai are preoccupied with the rising water, discussing “the inches rising” and how the floodwaters have overwhelmed “the cobbled steps” and the bathing places. The precise measurements reflect the human tendency to track and quantify natural events, yet they also make the situation feel more detached, almost as if the loss is being measured clinically.
The description of the flood carrying off “three village houses, one pregnant woman, and a couple of cows named Gopi and Brinda” conveys the devastation caused by the flood. The repetition of the cows’ names, which are common and familiar, emphasizes the everyday life that is interrupted by the flood. The inclusion of the pregnant woman, symbolizing new life, adds another layer of tragedy and the human cost of the flood.
Poetic Devices:
Imagery: The imagery of “the inches rising” and “the precise number of cobbled steps run over by the water” evokes a clear picture of the gradual and unstoppable rise of the floodwaters. The image of the “bathing places” suggests the personal connection of people with the river, as these places are used daily for personal rituals and practices.
Symbolism: The pregnant woman symbolizes new life and vulnerability, adding an emotional layer to the description of the flood’s destruction. The cows, named “Gopi and Brinda,” symbolize the mundane and ordinary life of the villagers, which is swept away by the force of nature.
Contrast: There is a contrast between the measured, almost detached discussion of the flood (“the inches rising”) and the personal devastation caused by it, particularly the loss of human and animal life. The poetic tradition often glorifies such events, but here, the details of destruction show the harsh reality that comes with floods.
Irony: The irony lies in how the flood, something the poets glorify, is shown in the poem as a force of destruction, carrying away ordinary things like houses and cows. The people are more focused on the specific measurements of the flood than the real tragedy it causes, underscoring the gap between the romanticized view of the river and the actual suffering it brings.
The new poets still quoted
the old poets, but no one spoke
in verse
of the pregnant woman
drowned, with perhaps twins in her,
kicking at blank walls
even before birth.
Reference to Context:
In this part of “A River”, A.K. Ramanujan points out the disconnect between the poets’ romanticized view of the river and the reality of human suffering caused by the floods. While the new poets continue to quote the old poets, they fail to address the true, tragic consequences of the river’s destructive power, such as the drowning of a pregnant woman. The image of the unborn twins “kicking at blank walls” intensifies the tragedy and highlights the loss of life before it has even begun.
Explanation:
The “new poets” continue to echo the words of the “old poets,” indicating a tradition of glorifying the river and its floods in poetic language. However, despite their reverence for the past, the new poets do not address the real, painful effects of the river’s floods.
The reference to the drowned pregnant woman—”with perhaps twins in her”—adds an emotional depth to the tragedy. The possibility of twins highlights the idea of potential life lost in an instant, emphasizing the cruel unpredictability of the flood.
The image of the unborn babies “kicking at blank walls” suggests a haunting image of life that never had a chance to grow. The “blank walls” symbolize the emptiness and the futility of their existence, as they never got to experience life outside the womb.
The stark contrast between the poetic tradition, which glorifies the river’s power, and the raw, untold suffering experienced by the pregnant woman underscores the disconnect between art and reality. The focus is not on the glorified flood but on the human cost of its destruction.
Poetic Devices:
Allusion: The reference to the “new poets” quoting the “old poets” alludes to the tradition of poetic literature and its continuing influence. This highlights the cyclical nature of poetic homage, where the newer generation continues to uphold the ideals set by the older generation.
Imagery: The image of a “pregnant woman drowned” is deeply visual and unsettling, drawing attention to the devastating loss of a life that was not yet fully lived. The unborn babies “kicking at blank walls” is an even more vivid and poignant image, showing life that has been cut short even before it could take shape.
Metaphor: “Kicking at blank walls” is a metaphor that captures the idea of a lost, unfulfilled existence. The “blank walls” symbolize emptiness, the unborn children’s fate sealed before they could begin their lives, emphasizing the futility of their potential lives being extinguished.
Irony: There is irony in the fact that the “new poets” still quote the old poets but fail to speak of the real human tragedy that the flood brings. While the old poets may have romanticized the river, the new poets, despite their knowledge, do not address the tangible human loss that happens in reality.
Contrast: There is a juxtaposition between the elevated and idealized view of the river floods, as seen in the poetic tradition, and the harsh, real consequences of those floods—the drowning of a pregnant woman and the loss of unborn children. This contrast deepens the reader’s understanding of the neglect of human suffering in traditional poetic depictions.
Symbolism: The pregnant woman symbolizes new life and potential, while her death, along with that of her unborn children, symbolizes the loss of life before it even began. This image serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost often overlooked in poetic representations of natural events.
He said:
the river has water enough
to be poetic
about only once a year
and then
it carries away
in the first half-hour
three village houses,
a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda
and one pregnant woman
expecting identical twins
with no moles on their bodies,
with different coloured diapers
to tell them apart.
Reference to Context:
In the concluding lines of “A River”, the speaker reflects on the nature of the river and its relationship to poetry. The river, according to the speaker, has enough “water” to be poetic only once a year, during the floods. The poem contrasts the idealized image of the river with its destructive force. In the first half-hour of the flood, the river sweeps away houses, cows, and a pregnant woman expecting identical twins. The details of the twins, with “no moles on their bodies” and “different coloured diapers,” add a layer of individuality and potential lost in the flood.
Explanation:
The line “the river has water enough to be poetic about only once a year” implies that the river is only seen as beautiful and worthy of poetic attention during the floods, when its power and grandeur are most visible. The rest of the year, it is dry and neglected.
The flood, described as occurring within the first “half-hour,” is shown as a violent and immediate force, sweeping away everything in its path, including homes, livestock, and people.
The specific mention of “three village houses,” “a couple of cows named Gopi and Brinda,” and the “pregnant woman expecting identical twins” adds a personal and tragic touch to the devastation. These details show that the flood’s destruction is not just a poetic or abstract event but something that directly impacts human lives.
The twins, “with no moles on their bodies, with different coloured diapers to tell them apart,” are presented with an almost clinical detail that emphasizes their individuality and the tragedy of their untimely deaths. The absence of distinguishing marks (like moles) and the use of different colored diapers symbolize their untouched potential, lost forever in the flood.
Poetic Devices:
Irony: The irony is evident in the contrast between the poetic ideal of the river, which is celebrated during the floods, and the harsh reality of its destructiveness. The river, once revered for its beauty and power, is shown here as a force of sudden, indiscriminate destruction.
Metaphor: The river’s “water” is a metaphor for its poetic potential. The floodwaters are symbolic of nature’s destructive force, which is both powerful and fleeting, much like the brief moments of poetic beauty associated with the river.
Imagery: The description of the flood taking away “three village houses,” “a couple of cows,” and “one pregnant woman expecting identical twins” is filled with vivid, tragic imagery. The personal details of the twins—”no moles on their bodies” and “different coloured diapers”—further emphasize the individual lives lost in the flood.
Contrast: There is a juxtaposition between the river’s romanticized poetic image and the reality of its floods. The floodwaters, which are so often idealized, are here shown to be a force of destruction, washing away homes and lives in an instant.
Symbolism: The “three village houses” symbolize the destruction of ordinary life; the “cows named Gopi and Brinda” represent the familiarity and routine of rural existence. The “pregnant woman expecting identical twins” symbolizes the untapped potential and innocence lost to the flood. The lack of “moles” and the use of “different coloured diapers” symbolize the uniqueness and life that the twins would have had, had they not perished.
Pathos: The mention of the pregnant woman and her unborn twins, especially with the specific details of their lives—”no moles on their bodies”—evokes a deep emotional response. This heightens the sense of tragedy, making the reader acutely aware of the human cost of the flood.
